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Buying a home in Big Timber, Montana

The typical owner-occupied home in Big Timber is worth about $278,200, 26% below the Montana median of $375,800 and 16% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,433 a year in property taxes, about 0.52% of their home's value, lower than the Montana rate of 0.72%. The median household earns $66,898 a year, so the median home costs 4.2 times the median income (5.2 times for Montana). 80% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Big Timber at a glance

Big Timber Montana U.S.
Median home value $278,200 $375,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,433 $2,693 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.52% 0.72% 0.94%
Median household income $66,898 $72,509 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 80% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 47% 55% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,581 $1,798 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.7% 21.9% 21.0%
Median rent $1,109 $1,081 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 21.8% 27.8% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1965 1981 1980
Vacant homes 9.8% 13.2% 10.1%
Population 1,611 1,116,875 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Big Timber

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Big Timber home of $278,200 with 20% down costs about $1,734 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,197, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $74,299 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 31% of the median Big Timber household income of $66,898; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $250,000.

The median rent here is $1,109 a month, so owning the median home costs about $625 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$55,640
Loan amount$222,560
Principal and interest$1,497
Property taxes (0.52% a year)$121
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$116
PMI$0
Total per month$1,734

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$9,737
Loan amount$273,161
Principal and interest$1,838
Property taxes (0.52% a year)$121
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$116
FHA mortgage insurance$123
Total per month$2,197

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Questions about home buying in Big Timber

What is the median home value in Big Timber?

About $278,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Big Timber?

Homeowners pay a median $1,433 a year, which is about 0.52% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Big Timber?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,734 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $74,299 a year.

More about Big Timber

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data